Clues
by whenshewasgood
Summary: Mike comes to April with some questions, questions she can't answer. Tcest.


_Like April, I took Anthropology 101 in college. And I remember just about as much as she does._

_Also, Nutter Butter should totes be an ice cream flavor. Just sayin'._

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* * *

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First clue: Mikey climbs in her window without his brothers.

Second clue: "Hey April, you're smart, right?"

She laughs. "I guess so. But so is Donatello, and yet here you are asking me."

He makes a face. "Donnie doesn't know anything about this. 'I'm an engineer, not an anthropologist,'" he says, imitating a stuffy professor type. She laughs again.

"I'm not an anthropologist either, Mikey."

"Yeah, but you took Anthropology 101 in college, right?"

She's surprised he remembers that. She mentioned it so long ago she can't remember mentioning it at all. Oh, she's sure she _did_; that professor was too quirky not to tell stories about. But the fact that he remembered it…

"So you want to know about anthropology?"

"Well, something in particular." He climbs up and sits on the back of her couch. She sits in front of him, allowing him to play with her hair. It's something they all do, when they think no one else is watching. She doesn't mind. She's the first human they've ever met, and it's not like Casey would let them do this, even though his hair is almost as long as hers. Once he establishes a rhythm of stroking and running her hair through his fingers, he continues. "I was wondering about taboos." Third clue.

"Taboos?"

"Yeah. I don't really get 'em."

"Well, they're in place to prevent people from doing things that would be bad for society."

"I know. I get the idea behind it. I guess I just don't understand why some things are taboo. I mean, murder, I totally get. If there was, like, a mutant turtle society and we had taboos, that would be one. But, like, say…" Fourth clue: "Incest. Why is that taboo?"

April thinks. She isn't stupid. But she can't think for the life of her why Mikey would suddenly be wondering about why it's wrong for a brother and sister to…

"Well, it's pretty gross," she starts, and he laughs.

"I know _that_," he says. "But I wanna know why it's as bad as murder."

That's a pretty legitimate question. She speaks slowly.

"Well, a lot of the time—I'd say most of the time—incest is more like rape. An older relative taking advantage of a younger one."

He makes a disgusted noise.

"But that kind of falls under the rape taboo, doesn't it?"

"I guess so."

"So what if it's not like that. What if it's consensual?" Fifth clue.

April really wants to know what these questions have to do with anything, but asking will only make him clam up, and he came to her for an answer. As the big sister (the thought flashes through her mind that _this_ is the reason, but she quickly dispels it. She isn't _that_ much like a sister to him) she will help him however she can.

"You mean, like, if adult siblings wanted to…"

"Yeah. I mean, don't get me wrong, April, I know it's gross. It just wanna know _why_."

She sighs. It was only Anthropology 101, for Pete's sake. Six years ago. She got her degree in _math_. She shouldn't have to be dealing with this.

"I guess it comes back to reproduction," she says, clutching at straws. "The offspring of such a coupling would be genetically inferior and therefore undesirable."

"Wow, April, are you quoting your text book there?" She rolls her eyes and pulls away so she can turn to look at him.

"Why do you want to know?" she asks gently. He looks down and fidgets a little.

"I just want to understand humans more," he says softly. _Ah._ So that's it. She takes his hand.

"Mikey, even _I_ don't always understand humans. And I _am_ one."

He smiles a little, and opens his mouth as though say something, and then closes it, shaking his head slightly.

"Do you still have some of that Nutter Butter ice cream left?" he asks mournfully, and she laughs and stands up, recognizing that serious time is over.

"That depends. Are you willing to help me wash the dishes for it?"

He falls over onto the couch in imaginary death throes.

"Awww, man, you're worse than Splinter!"

* * *

And yet, despite the clues, she is still shocked when Don and Mike come to her and tell her they're a couple.


End file.
